If Jonathan Chait thinks this is reasonable discourse, then the Angry Left really is doomed.
Apparently "hate" is always bad, unless -- predictably -- it is directed against a Republican or a conservative; in this case, President George W. Bush. I realize that TNR already has us pegged as not being a "serious" people since we didn't elect Al Gore, but to list your complaints and use them to rationalize "hatred" is closer to being a sign of mental illness than civilized partisan argument.
Honestly, what is wrong with these people?
Peter Beinart, TNR's Editor, was on the Hugh Hewitt radio show a few days ago.
He said that the start of the piece was meant as hyperbole.
An example (mine, not his) would be:
'I'd like to kill my neighbor. I mean, that guy keeps throwing his grass clippings over our fence.'
So Chait didn't really, really mean hate-type hate.
Well, that was the explanation.
Posted by: old maltese at 02:57 PMMemo to Jonthan Chait: If you wonder why some of us view the Bush hatred of which you are so proud as "a sort of incomprehensible mental affliction", perhaps you should consider the implications of his mere "existence" being "a constant oppressive force" in one's "daily psyche." I loathed Bubba with the best of them but managed to get through most of the days of his tenure in office without even a twinge on my mental well-being. Seek psychological help - or quit taking yourself so bloody seriously; you merit it even less than you think Dubya does.
Posted by: Dodd at 04:31 PM